Source Interlink Media Names Scott Dickey as New CEO

Enthusiast magazine publisher Source Interlink Media has named Scott Dickey as its new CEO, the company was set to announce today. Previously, Source Interlink Media and its sibling company, Source Interlink Distribution, had shared a CEO in Michael Sullivan, who will now focus solely on the distribution arm.

Before joining Source Interlink, Dickey was CEO of Competitor Group, a lifestyle media and live events company. Prior to that, he had also held the title of president at Transworld Media, a former division of Time Inc. that was sold in 2007.

Source Interlink has undergone its share of upheaval in the past several years, filing for bankruptcy in 2009 and later divesting itself of a number of titles, including Soap Opera Digest, and last year, sold nine of its motorcycle brands to Bonnier. But according to Dickey, the company has no plans to leave the magazine business.

“People are still going to subscribe and buy and devour magazines, obviously not at the same rate that they once did, but it’s not going anywhere,” he said. “We just have to find a balance between driving content to each channel of distribution, whether it’s mobile, traditional print or the Web.”

In his new position, Dickey said that one of his main focuses will strengthening the relationship between the company’s enthusiast titles and their readers, “whether it’s through traditional content distribution, through e-commerce, through better use of the underlying data, or through more custom programming and video.”

He also plans to use his prior experience by expanding the company’s live events business. “I’m a huge believer in the events side of the business, and I think it’s important for the brands to have that three-dimensional live presence that you just don’t get when you’re looking at a screen or a page of a magazine,” he said.

Dickey didn't rule out acquisitions, especially in the action sports and automotive categories, but for now, he said Source Interlink will focus on developing its current brands.

Enthusiast magazine publisher Source Interlink Media has named Scott Dickey as its new CEO, the company was set to announce today. Previously, Source Interlink Media and its sibling company, Source Interlink Distribution, had shared a CEO in Michael Sullivan, who will now focus solely on the distribution arm.

Before joining Source Interlink, Dickey was CEO of Competitor Group, a lifestyle media and live events company. Prior to that, he had also held the title of president at Transworld Media, a former division of Time Inc. that was sold in 2007.

Source Interlink has undergone its share of upheaval in the past several years, filing for bankruptcy in 2009 and later divesting itself of a number of titles, including Soap Opera Digest, and last year, sold nine of its motorcycle brands to Bonnier. But according to Dickey, the company has no plans to leave the magazine business.

“People are still going to subscribe and buy and devour magazines, obviously not at the same rate that they once did, but it’s not going anywhere,” he said. “We just have to find a balance between driving content to each channel of distribution, whether it’s mobile, traditional print or the Web.”

In his new position, Dickey said that one of his main focuses will strengthening the relationship between the company’s enthusiast titles and their readers, “whether it’s through traditional content distribution, through e-commerce, through better use of the underlying data, or through more custom programming and video.”

He also plans to use his prior experience by expanding the company’s live events business. “I’m a huge believer in the events side of the business, and I think it’s important for the brands to have that three-dimensional live presence that you just don’t get when you’re looking at a screen or a page of a magazine,” he said.

Dickey didn't rule out acquisitions, especially in the action sports and automotive categories, but for now, he said Source Interlink will focus on developing its current brands.